Refereed Publications

  • Sura, P. and D.-Z. Sun, 2009: Preface to Special Issue on Ocean-Atmosphere Coupling, Atmospheric Research.

  • Sun, D.-Z., 2009: The Diabatic Aspects of El Nino Southern Oscillation. To appear in "Climate Dynamics: Why Does Climate Vary?". AGU Geophysical Monograph, Edited by D.-Z. Sun and F. Bryan, AGU.

  • Penland C., D.-Z.Sun, and A. Capontondi, 2008: An Introduction to El Nino and La Nina. To appear in "Climate Dynamics: Why Does Climate Vary?". AGU Geophysical Monograph, Edited by D.-Z. Sun and F. Bryan, AGU.

  • Wu, C., T. Zhou, and D.-Z. Sun, 2008: Atmospheric Feedbacks over the Tropical Pacific in Observations and Atmospheric General Circulation Models: An Extended Assessment. J. Climate, Submitted.
    Abstract / PDF

  • Zhang,T.,D.-Z. Sun, R. Neal, and P. Rasch, 2008: An Evaluation of ENSO Asymmetry in the Community Climate System Models: A View from the Subsurface. J.Climate, Accepted Abstract / PDF

  • Yu, Y., and D.-Z. Sun, 2009: Response of ENSO and the Mean State of the Tropical Pacific to Extratropical Cooling/Warming: A Study Using the IAP Coupled Model. J. Climate, Accepted.

  • Wu, C., T. Zhou, R. Yu, and D.-Z.Sun, 2008: Regime behavior in the SST-cloud forcing relationships over the Pacific cold-tongue region. J. Climate, Submitted.

  • Sun, D.-Z., Y. Yu, and T. Zhang, 2009: Tropical Water Vapor and Cloud Feedbacks in Climate Models: A Further Assessment Using Coupled Simulations. J. Climate, 22, 1287-1304.
    Abstract / PDF

  • Zhang, T., and D.-Z. Sun, 2008: What Causes the Excessive Response of the Clear-Sky Greenhouse Effect to El Nin˜o Warming in the NCAR Community Atmosphere Models? J. Geophys. Research, 113, D02108, doi:10.1029/2007JD009247.
    Abstract / PDF

  • Sun, D.-Z., 2007: The Role of ENSO in Regulating its Background State. In "Nonlinear Dynamics in Geosciences", pages 537-555, Springer New York, 604 pages, Edited by J. Elsner and A. Tsonis.
    Abstract / PDF

  • Sun, D.-Z. and T. Zhang 2006: A Regulatory Effect of ENSO on the Time-Mean Thermal Stratification of the Equatorial Upper Ocean. Geophys. Res. Lett., Vol. 33, L07710, doi:10.1029/2005GL025296.
    Abstract / PDF

  • Sun, D.-Z., T. Zhang, C. Covey,S. Klein, W.D. Collins, J.J. Hack, J.T. Kiehl, G.A. Meehl, I.M. Held, and M. Suarez, 2006 : Radiative and Dynamical Feedbacks Over the Equatorial Cold-tongue: Results from Nine Atmospheric GCMs. J. Climate , 19 , 4059-4074.
    Abstract / PDF

  • Zhang, T. and D.-Z. Sun, 2006 :Response of water vapor and clouds to El Nino warming in three NCAR models J. Geophys. Res.,111 , D17103, doi:10.1029/2005JD006700 .
    Abstract / PDF

  • Sun, D.-Z., 2004: The Control of Meridional Differential Heating Over the Level of ENSO activity: A Heat-Pump Hypothesis. page 71--83. In Earth's Climate: The Ocean-Atmosphere Interaction, AGU Geophysical Monograph, Vol. 147, 414 pages. Edited by C. Wang, S.-P. Xie, and J. Carton.
    Abstract / PDF

  • Sun, D.-Z., T. Zhang, and S.-I. Shin, 2004 : The effect of subtropical cooling on the amplitude of ENSO: a numerical study. J. Climate , 17, 3786-3798.
    Abstract / PDF

  • Sun, D.-Z., J. Fasullo, T. Zhang, and A. Roubicek, 2003:On the Radiative and Dynamical Feedbacks over the Equatorial Cold-tongue. J. Climate, 16. 2425-2432
    Abstract / PDF

  • Sun, D.-Z., 2003:A Possible Effect of An Increase in the Warm-pool SST on the Magnitude of El Niño Warming. J. Climate, 16, 185-205
    Abstract / PDF

  • Sun, D.-Z., C. Covey, and R.S. Lindzen, 2001: Vertical correlations of water vapor in GCMs. Geophys. Res. Lett., 28 , 259-262.
    Abstract / PDF)

  • Fasullo, J., and D.-Z. Sun , 2001: Radiative sensitivies to tropical water vapor under all-sky conditions. J. Climate, 14, 2798-2807
    Abstract / PDF).

  • Sun, D.-Z., 2000b: The heat sources and sinks of the 1986-87 El Niño, J. Climate, 13, 3533-3550.
    Abstract / PDF).

  • Sun, D.-Z., 2000a: Global climate change and ENSO: a theoretical framework. El Niño: Historical and Paleoclimatic Aspects of the Southern Oscillation, Multiscale variability and Global and Regional Impacts .443-463. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, edited by Diaz H. F. and V. Markgraf, 476 pp.
    Abstract / PDF).

  • Sun, D.-Z. and K.E. Trenberth, 1998 : Coordinated heat removal from the equatorial Pacific during the 1986-87 El Niño. Geophys. Res. Lett., , 25, 2659-2662

  • Sun, D.-Z., 1997: El Niño: a coupled response to radiative heating? Geophys. Res. Lett., 24, 2031-2034.

  • Sun, D.-Z. and Z. Liu, 1996 : Dynamic ocean-atmosphere coupling: a thermostat for the tropics. Science, 272, 1148-1150.

  • Sun, D.-Z. and I.M. Held, 1996 : A comparison of modeled and observed relationships between interannual variations of water vapor and temperature. J. Climate, 9, 665-675.

  • Sun, D.-Z. and A.H. Oort, 1995 : Humidity-temperature relationships in the tropical troposphere. J. Climate, 8, 1974-1987.

  • Sun, D.Z. and R.S. Lindzen, 1994 : A PV view of the zonal mean distribution of temperature and wind in the extratropical troposphere. J. Atmos. Sci., 51, 757-772.

  • Sun, D.-Z. and R.S. Lindzen, 1993a : Distribution of tropical tropospheric water vapor. J. Atmos. Sci., 50, 1643-1660.

  • Sun, D.-Z. and R.S. Lindzen, 1993b: Water vapor feedback and the ice age snowline record. Ann. Geophys., 11, 204-215.

  • Wallace J.M., X. Cheng, and D.-Z. Sun, 1991: Does low-frequency atmospheric variability exhibit regime-like behavior? Tellus, 43 AB, 16-26.

    Recent Talks and Lectures

  • "Response of ENSO to global warming: A perspective from global heat balance". ENSO and Global Change: The Past, Present, and Future. 2008 AGU Fall Meeting, Dec 15-19, 2008

  • "Some Fundamental Problems about the Earth's Climate System". Invited lecture, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xian, China, October 30, 2008.

  • "An Introduction to Earth's Climate System". Lectures as a visiting "Tengfei" Professor, School of Human Settlement and Civil Engineering, Xian Jiaotung University, Xian, China, October 28-29, 2008.

  • "Understanding the Impact of Global Warming on the Level of ENSO activity", Invited lecture, Beijing University, Beijing, China, October 27, 2008.

  • "Response of ENSO to global warming: A perspective from global heat balance", Recent Warming of the Tropical Oceans: Facts, Causes, and Implications . AGU Western Pacific Meeting, Cairns, Australia 29 July--1 August 2008.

  • Understanding the impact of global warming on the level of ENSO activity", CCSM Climate Change Working Group Meeting, 13th Annual CCSM Workshop, Breckenridge, Colorado 17-19 June 2008.

  • "An evaluation of ENSO asymmetry in community climate system models", Atmosphere Model Working Group Meeting, 13th Annual CCSM Workshop, Breckenridge, Colorado 17-19 June 2008.

  • "The role of ENSO in regulating the mean climate of the tropical Pacific", CCSM Paleoclimate Working Group Meeting, 13th Annual CCSM Workshop, Breckenridge, Colorado 17-19 June 2008.

  • "A regulatory effect of ENSO on the time-mean thermal stratification of the equatorial upper ocean", CCSM Ocean Model Working Group Meeting,13th Annual CCSM Workshop, Breckenridge, Colorado 17-19 June 2008.

  • " The Role of ENSO in Regulating its Background State", Invited Seminar, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, April 17, 2008.

  • "The Role of ENSO in Regulating its Background State: Implications for Strategies to Understand Climate Changes in the Tropical Pacific", Climatic Changes in the Last 1500 Years: Their Impact on Pacific Islands, Honolulu, Hawaii, November 12-14, 2007.

  • "A Regulatory Effect of ENSO on the Time-Mean Thermal Stratification of the Equatorial Upper Ocean", Ocean-Atmosphere Coupling, IUGG XXIV, Perugia, Italy, July 2-13, 2007.

  • "Water Vapor and Cloud Feedbacks in IPCC AR4 Models", Climate Change Working Group Meeting, the 12th Annual CCSM Workshop, Breckenridge, Colorado, June 19-21, 2007.

  • "The Role of ENSO in Regulating its Background State: Implications for Decadal Variability", The 7th Workshop on Decadal Variability, Waikoloa, Hawaii, April 30--May 3, 2007.

  • "Water Vapor and Clouds Feedbacks in Climate Models", Invited Seminar, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA. April 5, 2007.

  • " The Role of ENSO in Regulating its Background State", Invited Seminar, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA. April 4, 2007.

  • "Water Vapor and Cloud Feedbacks in Climate Models", Invited Guest Lecture in ATOC-7500 "Human Impacts on Weather and Climate". Duane 126, CU Campus, Boulder, CO. March 4, 2007.

  • "Atmospheric Feedbacks Over the Pacific Cold-tongue: Results from Models and Observations", Invited Seminar, Chinese Meteorological Administration, Beijing, China. July 28, 2006.

  • "A Regulatory Effect of ENSO on the Time-Mean Thermal Stratification in the Equatorial Upper Ocean", Invited Seminar, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. July 28, 2006.

  • "El Nino and the SST of the Western Pacific Warm-Pool", Invited talk in AGU's Western Pacific Meeting. Beijing, China. July 24-27, 2006.

  • " The Role of ENSO in Regulating its Background State", Key Note Talk in "20 Years of Nonlinear Dynamics in Geosciences". Ixia, Rhodes, Greece. June 11--June 16, 2006.

  • "Who does the vertical transport of heat in the tropical Pacific: Hurricanes or ENSO?", 27th Conferences on Hurricanes and Tropical Meteorology, Monterey, California. April 24-28, 2006.

  • " A Regulatory Effect of ENSO on the Time-mean Stratification of the Equatorial Upper Ocean", Guest Lecture in ATOC-7500 "The Art of Climate and Environment Modeling".Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, April 11, 2006.

  • "Atmospheric Feedbacks Over the Pacific Cold-tongue: Results from Models and Observations", Physical Science Division Seminar, NOAA/Earth System Research Laboratory, Boulder, January 18, 2006. )

  • "The role of ENSO in regulating the stability of the tropical Pacific climatology", Invited Seminar, Korea Ocean Research and Development Institute, Korea, September 21, 2005. )

  • "Understanding the causes of the excessive cold-tongue in coupled GCMs", Invited Seminar, Korea Ocean Research and Development Institute, Ansan, Korea. September 22, 2005.

  • "The Role of ENSO in Regulating the Stability of the Tropical Pacific Climatology",Invited Seminar, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, March 28, 2005.

  • "The Role of ENSO in Regulating the Stability of the Tropical Pacific Climatology". ENSO: Dynamics and Predictability. 2005 General Assembly of European Geophysical Union, Vienna, Austria. April 24-29, 2005.

  • "The Role of ENSO in Regulating the Stability of the Tropical Pacific Climatology". Tropical-Extratropical Climatic Teleconnections, A Long-Term Perspective, University of Hawaii, Honlulu, Hawaii, USA. February 8-11, 2005.

  • "Cloud and Water Vapor Feedbacks in Climate Models". The 16th Symposium on Global Change and Climate Variations, San Diego, California. January 9-13, 2005.

  • "The Role of ENSO in Regulating the Tropical Pacific Climatology", 2004 AGU Fall Meeting, San Francisco, CA. December 13-17, 2004.

  • "Feedbacks in Climate Models", Invited Seminar, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD. August 26, 2004.

  • "Testing the Heat-Pump Hypothesis Using the NCAR Pacific Basin Model". The 9th Annual CCSM Workshop, Santa Fe, NM. July 07-09, 2004.

  • "The Effect of Subtropical Cooling on the Amplitude of ENSO: A Numerical Study", Invited Seminar, Laboratory of Dynamical Oceanography and Climatology (LODYC), Paris, France. May 4, 2004.

  • "The Effect of Subtropical Cooling on the Amplitude of ENSO: A Numerical Study",El Nino and Nonlinear and Stochastic Issues, 1st General Assembly of European Geosciences Union, Nice, France. 25-30 April 2004.

  • "The Effect of Subtropical/Extratropical Cooling on the Amplitude of ENSO: A Numerical Study",15th Symposium on Global Change and Climate Variations, Seattle, WA. 10-16 January 2004.

  • "Understanding the Causes of the Excessive Cold-tongue in Coupled GCMs: A System Perspective", 2nd Coupled Model Intercomparison Workshop (CMIP), Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, Hamburg, Germany. September 22, 2003.

  • "A Heat-Pump Hypothesis for ENSO", Invited Seminar, International Pacific Research Center, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii. August 13, 2003.

  • "Understanding the Causes of the Excessive Cold-tongue in Coupled GCMs: A System Perspective", 8th Annual CSM Workshop, Breckenridge, CO. 24-26 June 2003.

  • "Validating and Understanding Feedbacks in GCMs", Tropical Biases Workshop, GFDL, Princeton, NJ. 19 May 2003.

  • "Climate Feedbacks in NCAR CAM1 and CAM2", Atmospheric Model Working Group Meeting, Boulder, CO. 6 March 2003.

  • "Validating and understanding the cloud and water vapor feedbacks in the NCAR CCSM". 14th Symposium on Global Change and Climate Variations, 83rd Annual Meeting of the American Meteorological Society, Long Beach, CA. 8-14 February 2003.

  • "Why did the two strongest El Ninos in the instrumental record occur in the last two decades?". 14th Symposium on Global Change and Climate Variations, 83rd Annual Meeting of the American Meteorological Society, Long Beach, CA. 8-14 February 2003.

  • "The control of meridional differential surface heating over the level of ENSO activity: a heat-pump hypothesis". Ocean-atmosphere interaction and climate variability, Fall Meeting of American Geophysical Union, San Francisco, CA. 6-10 December 2002.

  • "The role of El Nino in regulating the long-term strength of the Walker and Hadley circulation". Conference on the Hadley Circulation: Present, Past, and Future, International Pacific Research Center, Honolulu, Hawaii. 12-15 November 2002.

  • "The effect of an anomalously high warm-pool SST on the magnitude of El Nino warming". NOAA's 27th annual climate diagnostics and prediction workshop, Fairfax, Virgina. 21-25 October 2002.

  • "Validating and understanding the radiative and dynamical feedbacks in the NCAR CSM". 7th Annual CSM Workshop, Breckenridge, CO. 25-27 June 2002.

  • "The effect of anomalously high warm-pool SST on the magnitude of El Nino warming". El Nino and Nonlinear and Stochastic issues, XXVII General Assembly of European Geophysical Society, Nice, France. 21-26 April 2002.

  • Radiative and dynamical feedbacks in the tropical atmosphere: a data- model comparisonö. Feedbacks in the Climate System, XXVII General Assembly of European Geophysical Society, Nice, France. 21-26 April 2002.

  • "The control of the warm-pool SST over the magnitude of El Nino warming". 13th Symposium on Global Change and Climate Variations, 82nd annual meeting of the American Meteorological Society, Orlando, Florida, USA. 13-17 January 2002.

  • "The Effect of Tropical Dry Zones on the Sensitivity of the Tropical Climate". 4th International Scientific Conference on the Global Energy and Water Cycle, Collège de France, Paris, France. 10-14 September 2001.

  • "A heat-pump picture for the ENSO system". 8th scientific assembly of IAMAS, Innsbruck, Austria. 10-18 July 2001.

  • "A heat-pump hypothesis for the ENSO system". 13th conference on atmospheric and fluid dynamics, Breckenridge, CO. 4-8 June 2001.

  • "Surface heating, upper ocean heat content, and the magnitude of El Nino warming", 12th Symposium on Global Change and Climate Variations, 81st annual meeting of the American Meteorological Society, Albuquerque, NM, USA. 14-19 January 2001.